Weekend Pass
by Medie Shanachie
Summary: Colby had never quite had a weekend like this one or a proposition like the one he had just heard. Sequel to Target Acquired--directly follows that story Pre-series
1. Chapter 1

**Characters/Pairings:** OFC-Aiden/Colby

**Spoilers:** Pre-Series the only real spoilers are for my pre-series stuff. Also if you haven't read **Target Acquired**, definitely read it first because this picks up from there.

**Summary:** Colby had never quite had a weekend like this one or a proposition like the one he had just heard.

**Rating:** R for sexual themes

**Author's Note:** This picks up directly from where **Target Acquired** left off...I mean immediately after so please make sure you are familiar with the other story first (its exactly 300 words so it won't take you long to read or refresh your memory). My friend, **paranoid_woman**, finally agreed to allow me to write a story for her birthday and requested a pure smut story. *grins* except it has developed a sort of plot along the way and gone on for way more pages than I meant it to. Its not finished yet, but she has been so sweet about waiting for it...that I am going to begin posting it now. I believe she has read this, but we wanted to share it. This has become part of a series, that my friend, **Wild Thing**, named "Arabian Knights". The series begins with **Target Acquired**, continues with this one, then concludes with **New Recruit** and **Last Call**. The other three are already posted on here.

* * *

Coughing, Colby tried to recover from the comment Aiden had just made. "I'm sorry?!" he asked when he had recovered enough to speak.

She leaned back in the chair; comfortable in the shorts and t-shirt she had put on that morning. Normally she would be covered from head to foot when out in public in an Arab country in respect to their morals, but she was in an American zone at the moment. Picking up the beer that Dwayne had brought over, she took a swig. "Having an issue with English?" she replied.

"Bit direct?" he shot back.

Aiden looked him over, blatantly this time. Admiring the muscles that were clear even through the loose fatigues he wore, she smiled. "Look, I just spent eight months on a dig where everyone was either fifteen years older than me or a student. I'm just looking for a good time for about thirty-six hours. You interested?" She twisted the beer bottle in her hands as she glanced down at his left hand. "No ring, but if you've got a girl back home, I'll move on."

"No. I'm single. Just a little, um, surprised," Colby explained.

"Well, how about this?" Aiden offered. "I'm also hungry. I'm staying at the American Hotel right now. Why don't we go back there, order some room service, and see what happens?"

Colby stared at her for a few minutes. He didn't think she was a plant; she was a little too outspoken for that and her eyes were a deep, dark blue that he'd never seen in contacts, but he was paid to be suspicious. As he looked her over, Aiden calmly drank her beer. "How do I know you're not an Afghani agent?" he asked.

Aiden reached into her back pocket and pulled out her passport, shoving it across the table to him. "Good enough?" she asked.

Colby picked it up and flipped it open, discovering a picture of the woman in front of him and an obvious US passport. While it could be faked, there were an awful lot of stamps and he didn't think anyone would bother to build that much of a background for an assassin. Besides there wasn't really anywhere on her outfit that she could hide a weapon capable of taking him out before he could retaliate. Glancing at the name, he filed it away in his brain before passing the folder back to her. If need be, he would place a call later and run her name. "Yeah. A room you said?"

She nodded. "At the American Hotel. So room service? Maybe something else?"

"Sure," he agreed. Picking up the other beer, he drained the bottle in three gulps. "Ready?"

Aiden grinned. "Damn, you don't waste any time once you make up your mind."

"All I'm agreeing to is dinner," he replied. He didn't offer his hand or arm as they both stood up; not because he wasn't a gentleman, but because he needed to have his hands free. He stepped back so Aiden would go ahead of him and scanned the room, finding Dwayne sitting at the bar. Although his friend didn't acknowledge him, Colby knew he saw them leave. He was sure Dwayne would have something to say when he returned to the barracks.

The hotel Aiden had named was a short walk from the bar where they had met. Colby was surprised when he didn't have to shorten his stride to accommodate her much shorter height, but didn't remark on it. Instead he kept an eye on their surroundings; checking the alleys and cars. Even in a protected zone he found it hard to relax completely.

When they entered the hotel, Aiden waved at the man on desk duty, but didn't stop. When he called out something in Arabic, she turned around and walked over to the desk. A rapid-fire discussion ensued that Colby couldn't even begin to follow. He had started to pick up a little Arabic in the months he had been in Afghanistan, but nothing even close to what these two were saying. After a few minutes, Aiden smiled in response, accepted a note, and turned away. "Everything okay?" Colby asked as she stuffed the paper in her pocket.

"Huh?" Aiden asked distractedly. "Oh, the paper. Yeah, its fine. Just a message. Nothing I need to deal with. Just an all's well mostly." She motioned to the stairs. "I'm on the third floor. Why don't we order before we walk up?"

"That's fine."

She led the way into a small restaurant style room and flagged down one of the girls bustling around the room. Another exchange followed, although Colby wasn't sure this one was in Arabic. Obviously whatever Aiden did had something to do with languages. After a moment, she turned to him. "Do you want beer or something else?" she asked.

"Soda would be good," he answered, which prompted another exchange. When she finished and turned away, he asked, "How many languages do you speak?"

Motioning for him to exit the room, she appeared to be counting in her head. "Um, I don't know for sure. About ten or so. A few of them are dead languages. I'm still learning new ones though."

"So you're here for something that has to do with languages?" he asked.

"I thought we agreed no questions," she replied. They had been climbing the stairs as they spoke and now Aiden pulled a key from her pocket, slipping it into the door. She entered first, leaving the door open for him to follow, and wandered inside. "Come on in," she invited.

Colby followed her into the room, shutting the door behind him. The room was a pretty standard hotel room with the addition of a laptop and a couple of bags that were obviously Aiden's. He turned to discover that Aiden was bent over, untying the boots she was wearing. "Your accent is almost non-existent," he commented. "How long have you been studying?"

"Arabic or languages in general?" Aiden replied. "And that's another question."

"I guess Arabic. Can't help asking questions. It's kinda my job."

Aiden toed off her shoes, stretching her arms lazily over her head and watching Colby's eyes following her movements. "I can understand that." She crossed back over to him, reaching out and lazily running a finger down between the open edges of his jacket. "So do I get to ask you some?"

He gulped as she toyed with the buckle on his belt. "Like what?"

"Like how about a...?" she switched to another language and finished her sentence.

He shook his head. "A what?"

She grinned. "You don't speak Arabic?"

"Um, no. Not a word. Or, well, a couple of words, but not that one. What does it mean?"

She used her grip on his belt to pull him closer. "It means kiss," she whispered. "May I have one?"

He stared down at her for a few moments, then reached out with a gentle hand. Cupping the side of her head, he tilted it so that he could lower his and softly kiss her. "So how fluent are you?" he asked when they drew apart.

She grinned again. "If I put contacts in and darken my skin a whole lot...I can pass for a native." As someone pounded on the door and she walked around him to go answer it, she tossed over her shoulder, "It's kinda my job."

Colby laughed as he stripped off his jacket and she opened the door. "Okay, I asked for that one." While Aiden dealt with the young man who had brought up the tray with their food, he lay the jacket across the back of one of the chairs at the table. "So I'm figuring you aren't military," he guessed as she turned back into the room.

She balanced the tray against her hip and kicked the door shut. "Nope. Brat, but didn't join up myself." She indicated the food. "Ya know most of this will keep. I'd be happy to give you a language lesson if you'd like. I've taught jarheads so I'm sure you can pick it up no problem."

"Language for a language?" he suggested.

"Um, I already speak English."

"Well, I meant Spanish, but if you already speak that, I understand."

"Actually I don't." She smiled. "That sounds good." Motioning to the bed, she offered, "Why don't you take your boots off and have a seat? And yes, I realize I just insulted you by comparing you to a jarhead."

He chuckled. "And how do you know that?"

"Because my father's greatest disappoint was the day his son came home and announced that he was a jarhead. Followed quickly by the day another of his sons came home and announced that he was a flyboy." She winked at him. "My brothers and I are a constant damn disappointment some days."

"I gather that's a common refrain."

She nodded, then crossed the room, sitting down on the bed facing him. Taking his hand, she said, "Esba' is finger, but asaabe' is fingers."

Tracing her fingers, he repeated what she had said. Then pulling them towards him, he offered, "El dedo." Grinning, he asked, "How many times do I need to repeat that?"

Returning his grin, she moved his finger up towards her mouth. "Just once. I have an edactic memory." Using the tip of his finger to trace her lips, she added, "Shafah is lips and fam is mouth." Snaking her tongue out, she licked the tip that rested there. "Lesaan is tongue," she finished before sucking it into her mouth.

Colby groaned as the wet heat of her surrounded him. Closing his eyes, he tried not to imagine what that sauna would feel like around his cock. He didn't know what she would be willing to do, but he suddenly wanted to find out. Pulling away, he gasped out, "Yes."

Reaching down, she slipped her hands beneath his t-shirt not even pretending she didn't understand what he was talking about. "Let's take the edge off, okay?" He blinked and she was tossing his shirt on the floor. He was still trying to figure out how that happened when he blinked again and realized she had on just a sky blue lace bra. Cupping her breasts, he gently rubbed his thumbs across her nipples. She shuddered beneath his caressing digits, then reached for his belt.

Colby leaned back as she fought with his web belt. She gave a cry of triumph as it finally came apart and he chuckled at the look of glee on her face. "Enjoying yourself?" he asked.

Aiden ran her hands up his stomach, feeling the muscles bunch and tense under the smooth skin. "Oh, hell, yeah." Sitting back on her heels, she considered him for a minute. "Any triggers I should know about?"

"Triggers?" he repeated, trying to pull his brain out of the fog she had put it into.

"Yeah. Is there anything I might do that could cause you to flip out on me?"

He shook his head. "I don't think you're going to shoot at me."

Her look turned decidedly wicked. "Hopefully the only shooting going on will be you shooting off."

Colby groaned and this time it wasn't a sound of enjoyment. "That was a horrible pun, Aiden."

Aiden slipped her hand inside his pants and widened her eyes. "Commando, Lieutenant?"

Colby felt his face heat up. "We've had some issues with laundry. Underwear doesn't always get back to us. Fatigues are a little more important and I didn't think not having them would be an issue when all I planned to do was drink."

She slid down, laving his chest and stomach with her tongue. Colby clenched the sheets beneath him to prevent himself from grabbing her. She lifted her head, grinning at him, then rewarded him by peeling his pants down as far as she could and licking a wide swath across his cock head.

"Jesus Christ, Addy!" Colby yelped, jack-knifing into a sitting position.

Aiden reached up and shoved him back down. "You gonna do that every time?" she demanded.

"No." He breathed deeply. "No. You just startled me."

"Good. Glad you aren't gonna jump each time. Ready for more?"

He spread his legs, allowing her to curl between them. She was a full foot shorter than him and nestled easily in the curve of his body. Wiggling his fatigues lower, she ran a finger up and down his cock a few times; murmuring something in a voice too low for him to decipher. He was just levering himself upright to ask what she was doing when she swallowed him whole.

Aiden grinned at the inarticulate sounds that issued from Colby's throat. Inhaling through her nose, she began a sucking motion. He groaned deeply and worked his fingers loose from the sheets, reaching down with his right hand and running it across the top of her head. Aiden reached down and rolled his balls gently in her hands.

Colby shouted once and came, then threw his hands over his face as Aiden pulled back to swallow him down. She sat up when he finished and looked him over as she wiped her lips with her thumb. When he didn't say anything after a few minutes, she spoke, "You all right?"

"Embarrassed," he replied, without moving his hands.

Aiden crawled up the bed until she could nestle next to him. When he still didn't move, she ran a hand down his chest. Nuzzling his neck, she asked, "Why are you embarrassed? Cuz you were so quick off the trigger?" When he nodded without moving his hands, she tugged on them. Finally he surrendered to her demands. "Its been a while, right?" Another nod was her answer as green eyes met blue. "So I took your edge off and now we can have a nice slow screw or take it hard and fast."

Colby choked on the air he had just inhaled. When he cleared his throat, he asked, "Did you just say 'slow screw'?"

"Of course," she answered, reaching for his lax genitals. "Ready for some foreplay?"


	2. Chapter 2

Colby pulled her until she was perched on top of him, just above his crotch. "My turn," he replied. Reaching up, he cupped her breasts in his larger hands. Aiden arched her back, pressing them into his palms. Colby grinned at her reaction and pushed the lace down, bearing her breasts to his gaze. Urging her forward, he sucked her nipple into his mouth. It was Aiden's turn to moan now and he reached around behind her back as he continued to play with her nipple. Nipping it gently, he unhooked her bra and tossed it away. Wrapping his arms around her, he continued to lave her nipple with his tongue as he braced his hand behind her head and began to push them both upright. As soon as she could, Aiden wrapped her legs around his body and cradled his head in her hands; running her fingers across his brush cut.

Pulling away from him, she muttered something in another language.

Colby laughed since her words hadn't sounded derogatory, but rather admiring. "What did you say?" he questioned.

Aiden took a moment to re-orient her brain cells. "I said, 'damn they're building Army men strong these days'."

Colby grinned up at her. "Shall I show you what else I can do?"

Aiden bent backwards, allowing his arms and her legs to brace her body. "Absolutely," she replied as gravity began to tip them over. She giggled as Colby tried not to land on top of her. "Problem, soldier?" she asked with a grin.

"Nope. Just planning my method of attack."

"Oh, I'm a military maneuver now?"

Colby levered himself upright, moving into a push-up position and pressing his lower body against hers. Slowly lowering himself, he moved until just his lower body and his lips were touching her. Aiden tipped her head up, unable to move her arms because of the way he had pinned her, using her tongue to entice him to meet her. When he pulled back, he asked, "Are you okay with this?"

"With what?"

"Being pinned by someone bigger?"

"Um, Colby, in case you hadn't noticed...I'm kinda tiny. I have yet to be in a relationship where I haven't been the much smaller person. I'll yell if you do something I don't like. Promise."

Deciding to torture her a little for that comment, he began to nibble on her neck. Aiden rolled her head to the side to encourage him. After a few moments, he moved on; not wanting to leave a mark since he still wasn't sure who she worked for. He paused at her breasts, but since he had already been there; he moved on quickly, wanting to reach lower. He kissed a line across her stomach before pausing at her belt-line. He continued to play with her belly button as he fussed with the snap on her shorts. Finally getting it open, he then pulled the zipper down. She wiggled out of them, revealing a pair of French bikini panties a few shades darker than her bra had been.

Colby pushed the thin material, already soaked with her juices, aside and dipped a finger inside her. When she gasped, he figured she was ready. Trying to decide how to get rid of her panties, he started to pull on them. "Don't you dare rip them," she responded as she realized his intent. "I've got a limited amount."

"Lift up then," he murmured and when she complied, he slipped them off. Tossing them aside, he pressed a kiss to her skin just above her pubic hair. Aiden grinned down the length of her body at him and spread her legs farther; granting him full access. Colby almost couldn't believe his good luck. The last girl he had dated had thought it disgusting if he even asked to go down on her or vice versa. Aiden was obviously of a different idea. Kissing his way along her hips, he spread her vagina lips and dipped his tongue inside. Aiden moaned loudly at his invasion. Colby grinned to himself and drove his tongue in farther; trying to see what other sounds he could draw from her. Searching for her clit, he teased her inner walls.

Aiden reached down with her hands, running them over Colby's buzz cut. Murmuring to him in Irish, she encouraged him. Switching to English, she cooed, "Goddess, that feels _so _good, Colby."

He lifted his head for a moment, taking a deep breath. "How good?" he teased.

She wiggled, trying to get him to lower his head. "Mmm. So good. Please? Its been so long."

Colby chuckled at her eagerness and dipped his head, but veered off course at the last moment, kissing her thighs instead of where she wanted his mouth. When she wordlessly protested, he edged his way closer to his goal. Licking his way back to where he had been before, he quickly found her clit and began to manipulate it. Above him, Aiden gripped the sheets and began panting heavily as he pushed her higher and higher. He could feel her tighten internally and he sped up his strokes; pushing her over the edge. Aiden keened as she crested and then collapsed almost as if she was a puppet and all her strings had been cut. Colby looked up, checking to make sure she was still breathing and when he saw her eyes closed; he began moving up towards her. Laying beside her, he trailed a lazy hand up and down her side until she cracked her eyes open. "You okay?" he asked.

She stretched and reached for him, pulling him down for a kiss. "Oh, _yeah_," she groaned when they broke apart. "That tongue needs to be registered as a lethal weapon."

He nuzzled her neck, trailing kisses along it to her collarbone. "Ready to move on?" he questioned. "Or do you want to rest a bit?"

Aiden reached down, sliding her hand along his thigh until she could grasp his penis. She smiled when she found him almost completely hard again. Throwing a leg over him, she answered, "I certainly don't need to rest. And you seem to be ready to go. Top or bottom?"

Colby snorted. "I'm sorry. What?"

Aiden fondled him as she propped herself up so she could look down at him. "Do you want to be on the top or bottom?" She stroked him up and down as she asked, "Do you want to look down on me as you slide deep inside me or do you want to watch me ease myself down on you while you're laying on your back?"

"Why can't we do both?" he replied. "We've got the whole weekend."

She grinned, obviously liking the way his mind was working. "So...which do you want first?"

Colby brushed the hair that had come loose from her braid away from her face. "Top first. I want you below me as I slide in deep."

She shuddered at his words, moving her hands to his hips and tugging him towards her. "Yes, please. Now."

"Not to kill the mood or anything," he said, "but, um, birth control?"

"I'm clean," she assured him. "And I'm on the pill. I didn't even think of it before..." she trailed off.

"No, I'm clean. I was more worried about, ya know, um...pregnancy," he stumbled.

She shook her head. "Not an issue. Its not the right time even if I wasn't on the pill."

"All right, if you're sure."

"I have condoms. I think. If you'd feel better."

"No. No, I trust you." He gently brushed her hair away from her face. Colby wasn't sure why, but somewhere between the short language lesson and cumming in her mouth; his normal suspicions broke down. He allowed her to pull him over this time, settling himself between her thighs. "You ready?"

She rubbed against him, trying to encourage him to slip inside. "More than. Mmm, I'm so wet. So ready to feel you inside me."

Colby began to ease his way inside, enjoying the tightness and the way her muscles gripped his cock. When he was fully seated within her, he braced himself above her in a push-up position and looked down at her. Aiden reached up, dancing her fingers across his chest. "You okay?" he asked in concern.

Aiden angled her hips towards him, about all she could do with his weight pinning her down. "I'm fine, but you won't be if you don't move."

He grinned and undulated his hips, drawing a gasp from her. "Better?" he questioned.

She punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Sadistic much?"

Pulling out, he eased his way back in, smiling as she encouraged him as much as she could. "No, but I don't want to hurt you."

Aiden stroked his back and sides, careful not to tickle him. "Cole, you're big, but you are not _that _big." She realized what she had said and that he would probably take it as a blow to his ego. "And I did not mean it _that way_! You're not small or..." she paused. "Ya know anything I say right now is just going to come out wrong. Stop being such a gentleman before I bite you or something!"

Colby looked down at her, trying to figure out if he was turned on by what she just said or not. "You bite?" He watched as a flush spread across her body, turning even her breasts red. Grinning, he said, "I'll take that as a yes. But since I'm not inclined towards being bit at the moment..."

He pulled out and began to ease back in again, but was taken by surprise when she grabbed his ass and yanked him hard into her. Aiden glared up at him. "I'm not a china doll," she informed him. "Fuck me," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," he snapped in automatic reply. Beginning to thrust, he gave her time to match his rhythm before moving in earnest.

Aiden gave a sigh of relief as Colby actually began to do something. As much as she was enjoying having him inside her, she had gone too long without and right now; she just wanted a hard, fast fuck. Later they would have time for a leisurely tease, but right now she needed the release. She knew it had probably been even longer for him and couldn't believe he had held out this long.

Spreading her legs to give him more room, Aiden braced herself to meet him. Despite her words, he was still moving carefully but now he was hitting the sweet spot within her and she moaned in encouragement. Colby seemed to take those sounds as a good thing because he sped up his motion.

Already Aiden could feel the tightening that signaled the end and although she was sorry it was coming this quickly, she looked forward to the release. Right up until Colby stopped all movement. "What the _fuck_?" she exclaimed.

Colby grinned down at her. "Problem?"

"You are a sadistic bastard," she replied.


	3. Chapter 3

"Nope," he answered cheerfully. "My parents were very married." He shifted position, drawing another groan from her. He rested his weight on his elbows and brushed her hair out of her face, leaning down to kiss her. Aiden pressed into the kiss; opening her mouth and inviting his tongue in to play. He moaned as she took control of the kiss, even though he had her body pinned beneath his.

When he broke the kiss, panting from lack of air, she grinned cheekily up at him. Reaching between them, she tweaked his nipple. He ground himself into her in response. Aiden bucked up into him, causing him to thrust again.

Feeling his balls tighten, he warned, "I'm not going to last much longer."

Aiden craned her neck, reaching up to lick the portion of his chest closest to her. "It's okay," she soothed when she pulled back. "Take what you need," she whispered to him. "This time."

Freed from trying to satisfy her, as much as it went against his grain, Colby drove himself into her. Again and again, he pulled out only to drive himself deeper into her; trying to find that last little bit he needed to find release.

Aiden realized that somehow Colby was unable to reach that last little bit he needed to topple over the edge. She ran her hands down his back, gripping his ass and pulling him into her. When he grunted and it wasn't in pleasure, she became worried. He had gotten off very easy the first time, which hadn't surprised her, but now he seemed almost stuck. She didn't know him well enough to know what would work the best with him, so she dug her nails into his shoulders and licked across his collarbone. She grazed him with her teeth, but didn't sink them in since he hadn't seemed keen on the biting. Colby shuddered above her and drove himself deeper, releasing his seed deep within her.

He braced himself above her for a moment, then collapsed, rolling to the side so he didn't crush her. "I'm sorry. Sorry," he breathed into her hair.

She nuzzled his shoulder, drawing his hand down. "I told you its okay." Colby slipped his thumb inside her and pressed down, pulling her to him as she shattered apart.

When she stopped shaking, he withdrew his digit. "Better?" he asked.

"Jesu," she breathed.

He kissed the top of her head as her eyes drifted closed. "If I'd realized you were that close..." he trailed off.

She snuggled closer, throwing a leg over his. "Don't worry about it. Sleep?"

"Yeah. A nap is good." He cradled her to him as they both drifted off.

* * * * * * *

Colby drifted awake, surprised at how warm and relaxed he felt. Aiden was still wrapped around him. Her eyes blinked open as he shifted. "Hungry?" she asked.

He kissed the bare shoulder that was closest to him. "I don't know that I could get it up again right now."

"For food, silly. I was going to get the tray."

"Yeah, that sounds good," he replied. He propped himself up on his hand, watching as Aiden slid out of bed and crossed the room to where she had set the room service tray earlier. He let his eyes travel over her body as she picked over the tray, then said, "Aiden, you have a pink rosebud on your ass."

She sighed. "Yeah, I'm aware of that."

"_Why _you have a pink rosebud on your ass?" he asked.

Aiden gathered up the tray and carried it back to the bed, nudging him until he moved over, making room for her. "It's a long, stupid story that's really none of your business."

"What could make you act so stupid that you could end up with a tattoo?" he questioned as he accepted the morsel she pressed into his mouth. He swallowed, the added, "Normally that's a guy thing."

"Well, between my brothers and the guys I work with, I can sometimes be stupid enough to do brainless guy things. Let's leave it at I was young and foolish. And the other person involved has no issues with pulling my pants down far enough to make sure it's still there."

Colby choked on the food she had just fed him. "Man, you really do say just anything, don't you?"

Aiden considered it for a moment. "Yeah, pretty much." Rubbing his bare thigh, she cuddled up against him for a moment. "I think I'm gonna go take a shower." She kissed his briefly on the lips. "You wanna join me?"

He looked her over as she stood up and posed before him, one hand on her hip. With a grin, he let his eyes travel from her feet all the way up to the top of her head. She wasn't the put together girl who picked him up in the bar anymore, but sex-tumbled and rumpled and even more appealing now. "Yeah. Just gimme a few minutes," he answered.

She nodded and turned away, heading for the other room with a swing in her hips. Colby grinned at the come hither tilt to her body. She left the door open when she entered the bathroom so he waited until he heard the water turn on before sliding out of bed. He was curious to see what the note she had slipped into her pocket said. He scouted around on the floor and finally found the shorts half-way across the room. Scooping them up, he dug around until he discovered the piece of paper. Pulling it out, he unfolded it and read it. _I'm back at the base. Everything's fine. Love ya, pip, _it said. Underneath the message was the time, date, and the name Eddie. Frowning, he slipped the note back into her pocket and dropped the shorts.

As he considered what to do, he realized that although she had asked him about a girlfriend; he had never questioned whether she had someone at home. This note made him wonder if she did have someone and this whole thing was her cheating on him. Trying to decide how best to approach it, he was just going to grab his clothes and run when she called, "Colby? Everything okay?"

He kicked the shorts away, still not sure what he was going to say to her. "Yeah, Aiden, everything's fine."

"Well, okay. Did you change your mind?"

"No," he said, deciding he would just ask her outright. "I'm coming." Entering the bathroom, he glanced at the shower where she had tipped her head to wet down her hair.

He could hear the laughter in her voice as she answered, "Not right now you aren't!"

"Aiden," he protested.

She grinned at him through the clear curtain. "What? It's the truth." Pushing it aside, she invited, "Come on in. The water's actually hot right now."

"Question first?" he asked, shifting from foot to foot as he tried to decide how to phrase it.

"Yeah. You've earned one," she replied with a wink.

"Who's Eddie?"

The shampoo bottle she had picked up fell to the floor with a thunk. "Where did you hear that name?" she questioned.

Colby rubbed the back of his head and confessed, "I read the note in your pocket. Is he your boyfriend? Cause I don't go for cheating, Aiden, and if he is, I'm out of here now."

She sighed and leaned her head against the shower wall. "He's not my boyfriend or my finance or my husband. He's my brother. Pip is his nickname for me. Short for pipsqueak because I'm so small and I used to squeak when he picked me up as a child. I swear to you, Eddie is my brother."

"Your brother?"

She pushed the curtain aside so she could look him in the eye. "Eddie is my brother. The Marine, the leatherneck, the jarhead. Whatever you want to call him; he's my brother and he's in Kandahar so he's far away. Now are you getting that cute, tight ass in this shower or not?"

"So your brother doesn't care who you sleep with?"

"I've been fucking guys since I was seventeen when I felt like it. Eddie doesn't care what I do as long as I'm safe."

He stepped into the shower; crowding her back against the wall. "And you think I'm safe?"

Stretching up on tiptoe, she could just reach high enough to put her hands around his neck. Pressing herself fully against him, she moaned softly as the slickness of her body met his hard muscle. "If you're not..." she trailed off, then her grin turned wicked, "Prove it."

Colby looked down at the challenging look in her eyes and decided he was man enough to rise to the occasion. Reaching down, he gripped her ass cheeks in both hands and smoothly lifted her off her feet. Squeaking in surprise, she shifted her grip on his shoulders from lazy to painful. Shifting slightly, he switched so he could hold her completely with one hand and arm. "You okay?" he whispered huskily in her ear as he slipped the index finger of his free hand inside her.

She gasped and then moaned as he rotated his finger. "Oh, yeeeaaah," she groaned when he paused his motion long enough to let her answer him.

Deciding he needed a bit more help, he turned them so he could press her against the wall. Raising her up a bit more to give himself some maneuvering room, he pressed a second finger inside her as he bent his head. Running his tongue along her collarbone, he lapped at the water that had puddled there. Aiden shuddered in his arms and pulled him closer, murmuring to him, "That's it. Harder, Cole." She turned her head inwards and bit down on the muscle that was closest causing him to jerk against her. "I can take it," she growled at him.

Opening her up more, he manipulated her inner walls and then pressed his thumb against her clit, causing her to moan his name. "You're so willing," he whispered in her ear. "So wet and open to me." She moaned again at his words as he continued to rotate his fingers, driving her higher and higher. Experience told him that the hitching in her breath and the tightening of her inner walls meant her orgasm was nearing. He wasn't surprised she was so close since they had already gone two rounds. Her nerve-endings were probably hyper-sensitive right now and the littlest touch was enough to set her off. He knew what he wanted and hoped it wouldn't hurt her. Nudging her legs apart, he set his cock at the entrance to her body just as she started to clench. "Too sore?" he asked.

"Wha..?" she asked dazedly.

"Are you too sore for me?" he asked slowly, making sure she comprehended him.

She shook her head frantically. "No. No!"

His look turned feral. "Good." Slamming suddenly upwards, he entered her fully; triggering her orgasm. Holding on tightly, he rode out the waves as she screamed, then tightened his hold as she fell against him. When her shaking turned to panting, he began to move.

Starting slowly with small little thrusts, he began to build towards a second one for her. He was pretty sure he could hold out and push her over again before cumming himself and he was determined to try. When she started to move and meet him, he spread his legs and drove himself deeper, reaching inside her for that special spot. Her legs wrapped tightly around his body and her heels dug into his buttocks as she tried to press herself closer to him; tried to get him deeper inside her. Already he could feel her internal muscles beginning to grip his cock and he slowed for a minute as it was almost more than he could stand. He wasn't ready yet; didn't want to give himself completely to the pleasure yet because she felt so good when she tightened around him.

Aiden's nails dug into his shoulders as that perfect point was reached again and her body reacted to his. Screaming once more, she toppled over the edge.

Colby had to stop all movement this time or join her in orgasm. He pressed her body between his and the wall and rested his head against the cold tile; allowing the warm water to pound against his back. The water stung, where Aiden had scratched him, but he shrugged it off as just part of good sex. When he looked down at her a few moments later, she was grinning lazily up at him. "Trying to kill me by orgasm?" she asked.

Figuring they'd both had enough of a rest, he starting moving again as he answered, "If you can think of that, I'm not doing well enough."

"Believe me, you're doing very well, but no giving yourself blue balls." She maneuvered her head so she could whisper directly in his ear, "Come with me this time, Cole. I want to feel my insides bathed with your hot seed." Colby stiffened at her words, shoving himself deeper into her. Her words egged him on, forcing him to drive himself into her harder. Shuddering he managed four more stuttering thrusts before spilling himself inside her. Aiden, already sensitive from cumming twice, tightened slightly in a smaller orgasm as he stiffened and then collapsed against the wall with her pinned between.

Rousting himself after a few minutes, he gently pulled himself free from Aiden and set her on the ground. He turned around and fumbled with the shower dials, turning the water off before it went completely cold. Turning back to face her, he reached out to steady her as she wavered on her feet. "Wow," she managed after a moment. Motioning to the bathroom, she said, "We should get out."

"Yeah, okay." He stepped out, then held his hand out, guiding her so she didn't slip.

Aiden almost collapsed as they stepped out of the shower and Colby quickly grabbed her before she fell to the floor. Scooping her up, he cradled her against his slick body. "Come on, sweetie," he said. "Let's get some sleep."

"Sounds good," she murmured. "I think you blew my brain."

He chuckled as her head lolled to the side; strings now completely cut and her entire body loose. "I blew something." He snagged a towel as he left the room. Standing her upright when they reached the bed, he haphazardly dried her off and then tumbled her into it. She rolled over onto her side. Quickly drying himself, he pushed her over, then crawled in beside her and curled up around her. Almost before his head hit the pillow, he was asleep.

* * * * * * * *

Colby reached out, half-awake, but opened his eyes when he encountered an empty bed. He sat up, rubbing a hand over his face and head, scanning the room for Aiden. She was seated at the table, curled up in the chair with her laptop open. Her chin rested on one hand and every so often she said something. Colby could make out the sound of her voice and rhythm of her words, but couldn't understand them. As his brain unfogged, he realized it was because she was speaking another language. Sliding out of the bed, he snagged his fatigue pants and slipped them on. He cast about for his shirt and then realized that she was wearing it. He hesitated when he realized that the reason she was speaking was a video call.

He skirted the room, trying to come up behind her and stay out of the camera range as Aiden continued chatting. He knew he was unsuccessful when his name was inter-spaced with her words a moment later. Aiden held her hand out to him and he allowed her to pull him towards her. A man, who looked enough like Aiden to be her twin, was on the computer screen. He was sprawled in a chair and holding a coffee cup, a half-masted tie lazily around his neck. Colby couldn't tell if he was getting up or going to bed from the position. The man slowly smiled after a moment and said something which caused Aiden to turn bright red and flip him off in answer. The other man was opening his mouth to reply when an off-screen voice yelled, "Daren!"

The man turned and answered, "Coming, Hunter," before facing the screen again and saying, "I'm going to be late for work, Aiden. Stay safe, aleathchúpla."

"Ich liebe dich," she responded, pressing her fingers to her lips, then to the screen.

Daren mirrored the motion and repeated the words before the video window closed. Aiden sighed, then shut the computer down. "Another brother?" Colby asked as she sat staring at the black screen for a few minutes.

Aiden shook herself out of her doldrums. "Yeah. My Irish twin. I haven't actually physically seen him in two years. It's just been too crazy." She unfolded her legs. "I need to get out of this room for a while. How would you feel about some food?"

Colby trailed a finger down her shoulder. "What happened to 'just sex'?"

"We need food for fuel for more sex." She grabbed his waistband, tugging him towards her. "And I'd just rather get it at a cafe rather than here. You game?"

"Well, I'm gonna need my shirt," he pointed out; motioning to the only item of clothing she wore.

Aiden began edging the shirt up, proving after a few centimeters that she really was wearing _only _shirt. "Are you sure? I mean why would they have an issue with a good-looking, buff man walking about with no shirt?"

"I believe its called indecent exposure and it reflects badly on the Army," he responded.

She sighed and pulled it the rest of the way off, handing it to him. "All right. I suppose I could find my own clothes."

Colby just shook his head as she slinked across the room. "You blush at whatever your brother says, but walk around naked," he commented.

"Yeah, well, that's because my brother was being a gutter boy," she replied as she began to dig through her bag for clean clothes.

Not knowing what to say in response, Colby tried to ignore her as she shimmied into her lingerie; red this time. He _shouldn't _be this horny. He'd had more sex in the last fourteen hours alone than in the past year, yet he found himself wanting to cross the room and strip the scraps of fabric back off and bend her over so he could drive himself into her again. Grabbing his libido mentally, he shoved it down as she reached for the lotion on the nightstand and smoothed it over her skin. Aiden was right; they needed food and to get out of this room for a little while.

Aiden pulled on a pair of jeans and a rugby shirt before sitting down to tug on her hiking boots. She smiled up at Colby as she was tying them. "Are you all right?" she asked.

He shook off his musings and returned her smile with a smirk. "Just wondering if we really need to go _out _for food."

"Yes, Cole, we do." She pulled him towards the door. "I'm sore even if you aren't and we both need the break." She paused before opening it and pressed up against him. "Besides anticipation makes it sweeter."

"You're trying to kill me," he answered as he felt his body respond to her. Already she was becoming familiar and just the feel of her was enough to make him begin to harden.

She moved away. "Hence the break. So I know this little cafe. No one there speaks English and they don't cater to Americans, but they don't dislike them either. You game?"

He nodded. "If you think it's safe for me to go in this." He gestured towards his clothes.

"Yeah, it'll be fine." She scooped up a scarf that was lying on the table by the door and draped it over her head, wrapping it in an approximation of the ones the women wore. He realized she must have planned this from the clothes she had picked.

* * *

_Translations:_

_aleathchúpla—my twin_

_Ich liebe dich—I love you_


	4. Chapter 4

Colby allowed her to choose the direction when they exited the hotel and she turned in the opposite direction from the one they had come. He walked closer to her this time, his hand brushing hers as they strolled along. "So what language were you and your brother speaking?" he asked after a few minutes.

"Daren and I were speaking German. He wanted to practice for some goddess awful reason. His accent is atrocious."

"So he's a linguist, too?" Colby questioned and when Aiden looked at him in surprise, he pointed out, "I'm not a stupid grunt," he grinned, "although I play one on T.V. You said your job has something to do with languages. I'm just guessing."

She groaned at his bad joke. "Yes, I'm a linguist, but, no, Daren isn't. He's a doctor doctor. An MD," she clarified at his look of confusion. "Its a little family joke. Mom, Patrick, Ian, and I are all doctors, but not MDs."

"Patrick and Ian?"

"More brothers," she replied as she turned another corner that Colby had to add to his mental map.

"Damn, girl. How many brothers do you have?"

"Five. All older. Don't worry. Only Eddie's in-country right now and he's in Kandahar like I told ya earlier."

He shook his head. "Anyway. So you and Daren both speak German. Why does he speak it?"

"Dad was in the Army. Until I was twelve, he was stationed overseas. One of the places he was stationed was Germany. We had a German nanny so all of us learned German. Only Daren and I still speak it with any fluency and like I said Daren's accent is horrible." She turned another corner, then stopped at the second building, opening the door and stepping inside.

A bearded man hurried up to them, greeting them in a dialect that Colby didn't recognize. Aiden smiled widely, accepting the man's hands and answering him. "This is Asif," she explained to Colby as they were led to a table. "He's the owner." She said something else to the man, who nodded in response and gave a slight bow with his head. He turned and rushed away.

Before Colby could ask anything else, a young girl appeared at their side. Leaning down, she embraced Aiden, then yammered at the linguist as she set plates and glasses on the table. A couple of times, she glanced at Colby from under lowered eyelashes, but she never made eye contact with him. Aiden kept up a constant stream of conversation with her the entire time she was at the table and once Colby thought he caught his name. Finally she handed Aiden two cloth napkins and bustled away.

Colby looked at Aiden as she unfolded one of the napkins and spread it across her lap after handing him the other. "What was that all about?"

"Khadja was asking where my _friend _from earlier in the week was. I explained that my _brother _had gone back to his unit and that you, my _boyfriend_, had gotten leave for the weekend." Aiden steepled her fingers and grinned at him. "She was very glad to hear that Eddie is my brother. Apparently he's cuter than you."

Colby chuckled. "I don't know if I should be insulted or not. And why boyfriend?"

"Cause telling her 'the guy I picked up in a bar cause I wanted to get laid' just doesn't work in this culture. Boyfriend at least won't get me stoned in the courtyard."

Colby nodded at that as Asif set platters of food on the table and asked Aiden a rapid question. She shook her head in reply and answered him. After he walked away, she said to Colby, "So dig in."

"I'm not sure what all this is."

"Asif uses the cultural expression of destarkhan as the basis for his restaurant," she explained. "He uses traditional dishes for the spread." Aiden pointed to each dish as she named it and when she finished, she offered, "Should I pick things for you?"

Colby steeled himself. "No. I've eaten MREs. I'll figure it out." He picked them over, trying to figure out what to sample as Aiden dug in, obviously familiar with the food or more adventurous. He refused to ask her what things were made of, but after a few bites, he realized everything was very good and he was starving. "So you spent your childhood in Germany?"

She shook her head. "No, but I was born there. Lived there for quite a few years. Well, on and off. Dad was stationed at Landstuhl, but kept getting TDY'ed. A lot of times we went with him, at least if it was longer than a couple of months. We were in England, Okinawa, and South Korea at one time or another. I was twelve before I set foot on US soil." She looked him over. "But you?...You're the all-American boy. I'd say Mid-West somewhere. Dad might have been military, but then again he might not have been. Only child or at the most one other sibling."

"Idaho," Colby confirmed. "And my dad did do a seven year stint in the Marines, but it was before I was born. I've got one sister, Joanna, who is eight years younger than me."

"Marines, huh? So why are you in the Army?" she questioned.

"I'm not batshit insane," he replied before realizing what he had said. "Sorry. I didn't..."

Aiden waved it off, giggling. "I tell Eddie he's insane all the time. In fact, I distinctly recall telling him on more than one occasion that he's nug bucking futs and that was _before _he joined the Marines."

"Which means?"

Aiden grinned widely. "Bug fucking nuts."

"And your brother doesn't kill you?"

"Only girl. Baby of the family. I get away with a lot of shite." She saw his look at her language. "And, yes, I swear a bit more than I probably should. Sorry. I did some of my college in England and despite what they normally show in public, they can be pretty foul mouthed." She grinned. "I'll try to curb my tongue if it bothers you that much though. So how did you end up in the military?"

"Sixth generation military man; everyone except my father was Army." He grinned as he stabbed a piece of kabob. "Dad was the rebel. In my family, you go ROTC as soon as you enter high school and join the Army as soon as you turn eighteen. When it came time for Dad to enlist; he signed up for the Corps. According to my grandma, my granddad didn't speak to him for six months."

"Yeah. I hear ya. In my family, everyone tends to scream and then we're over and done with. I think Daddy yelled for five days after Eddie joined the Corps, but he pretty much got over it." She grinned again. "Although Mama had to declare our home Switzerland because the boys fought over the branches so much." She scooped up something she had put on her plate with a piece of bread and asked, "So are you stationed in Kabul or just in town on a weekend pass?"

"What happened to no questions?" he replied.

"I've never been able to stick to that. I'm just naturally inquisitive. So?"

"Stationed here in Kabul with the CID. I spent thirteen months out in the desert searching for moles among the Al Qaeda. Nothing like living in a tent for an extended period of time."

"Colby, I've spend most of my adult life in tents. If I'm not with the military, I'm on digs in the ass end of no where. Mostly Egypt, but also England or Ireland since I speak Ancient Celtic and Gaelic. Lemme tell you there is nothing colder than a tent in December in Northern Ireland!"

Colby laughed at the disgust in her voice, trying to cover it, then gave up when she joined in. "Why take the job if you hate the conditions?" he asked.

Aiden waved at their surroundings. "Why stay here if you hate the job?" she countered.

"Orders," he replied shortly.

"A chance to learn or help," she answered his question, then obviously feeling their conversation was getting too deep, she asked, "What's your favorite movie?"

He looked confused by the subject change, but replied easily enough, "Midnight Run. Yours?"

She blushed, but admitted, "The Matrix, but not for the reason you probably think. I'm a closet scifi nerd."

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows. "You don't like the movie cause you think Keanu Reeves is cute?"

Her blush deepened. "No, the whole mythos is fascinating. I mean that we all live in a world created by a machine and one man with a name that means nothing can destroy it? Totally cool!"

Colby grinned at her enthusiasm, but said, "I would have thought your favorite would be one of the Indiana Jones movies."

"Oh, I love Last Crusade, too. Once again the mythos, but Matrix is my current fave. And I'm a linguist; not an _archaeologist_!" She considered his choice. "Why Midnight Run?"

He shrugged easily. "Guys on the run cross-country from the bad guys and each other? Gun fire and bad language? It's a no brainer. Besides it was actually fun to watch without getting too lame or stupid and even drunk the other ROTC boys could follow it."

"Not big on drinking?"

"Not when I'm underage," he answered. "I was at Boise State on a ROTC ride. I didn't want to chance losing it."

"Yeah, I can understand that. Mama and Daddy paid for undergrad; that was the deal, but I was on my own for anything else. I crammed as much as I could into each year." She made a face. "Ian calls me an overachiever since I hold dual degrees at each level, but, well, I couldn't decide _what_ I wanted to study. Although digging in the dirt bored me."

"Dual degrees?" Colby questioned, realizing that his casual playmate was a whole lot smarter than he had realized.

Aiden fiddled with the detritus of their dinner. "Yes," she sighed. "English and Linguistics at the undergrad level with a minor in Archeology. Then Linguists and Anthropology at both the Masters and Doctorate levels. And, yes, I did it in a shorter amount of time than was required. I took a lot of summer courses and I doubled up. But like I said earlier, I have an edactic memory. If I see it written, I remember it. I can also to a certain extent remember things said to me." She looked back up at him. "Did I scare you away now?"

He leaned across the table to kiss her lightly. "Nah, smart is sexy, but damn, girl. When did you have time to socialize?"

She grinned at him. "Told you I was horny." She glanced at the table, but they had pretty much decimated the meal. "Khadja makes a delicious baklava. What say I order some to go?" She reached across the table and ran a finger down his hand. "We could _enjoy_ it later?"

A shiver went down his spine at the promise in her words and he nodded, reaching for his wallet. "Baklava and the check," he said.

Aiden had barely turned in her seat before Khadja was hurrying over to them. The two girls had a rapid exchange of words, then Khadja nodded. Aiden turned back to Colby. "It'll be just a few minutes."

When Khadja returned, Aiden accepted the cloth wrapped bundle as Colby paid by leaving the money on the table. The girl gave him a shy smile that he didn't acknowledge and swept the money into her pocket. Aiden said something to her in parting and then accepted Colby's hand.

Colby dropped her hand again when they exited the building, not sure how she would feel about the contact in public. Aiden tucked the bundle under her arm and walked close to him, bumping against him as they moved. They were silent now; Colby trying to remember the turns they had taken to get there and watch their surroundings and Aiden appreciating his unsaid wishes.


	5. Chapter 5

After a couple of blocks, Colby realized that he was a lot easier than usual. Reaching out, he ran his fingers along Aiden's free hand. Aiden smiled at him as he took her hand as they strolled through the streets towards her hotel. "Feeling more relaxed?" she asked.

The corners of Colby's mouth quirked up as he looked down at her. "Yeah, for some reason I am. Must have been the meal of real food we just had."

She bumped her hip into him, giggling. "Oh, and it had nothing to do with the mind-blowing sex we had earlier?"

"Nah, not at all," he replied, joining her in the laughter.

They were still laughing when a figure familiar to Colby came into view. Colby winced as the other officer waved, flagging him down. "Granger!" he yelled. Colby slowed as the man changed course, hurrying to catch up with them.

Aiden studied the approaching soldier. Like Colby, he was dressed in desert fatigues, but his close-cropped hair was black and as he neared, Aiden could see he had brown eyes. His olive skin was tanned deeply by the brutal sun and wrinkles that were smile-born were easily discerned. "Hey, LT," he hailed Colby as he got closer and didn't have to yell. "Who's your friend?"

Colby rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, trying to figure out how to explain this. Meanwhile Aiden held her hand out, taking the initiative. "Hi! Aiden Bancroft. And you are?"

The man looked a little bemused, but shook her hand. "Ah, Rodney Delko. Granger and I work together."

"Nice to meet you. Colby and my brother, Eddie, did some cross-branch work a few months back. Eddie asked him to look me up when he had some free time and Cole was nice enough to treat me to dinner," Aiden responded. "He was just walking me back to my hotel."

Delko looked pointedly at their clasped hands. "Uh-huh."

Colby had to admit that Aiden managed to pull off innocent pretty well. "I'm horrible at directions, Sergeant, and I have a habit of wandering off because I'm distracted. Cole just wanted to make sure he didn't lose me."

The other man didn't look completely convinced, but he went along with it. "Oh, okay." He jerked a thumb in the opposite direction from the one they were heading. "I've gotta get back to the barracks. See ya at the office Monday, LT. Nice to meet you, Ms. Bancroft."

"Later, Delko," Colby replied and waited until the soldier walked away. "That was close. Where the hell did you come up with that story?" he asked when Delko was out of earshot.

Aiden shrugged and tugged on his hand to get him moving again. "You said you were in a tent, hunting Al Qaeda. That's pretty much what Eddie does. I'm guessing that at some point you worked with Marines. How's he to know you _didn't_ work with my brother?"

"Good point." He looked around and realized that he only vaguely knew where they were. "Which way?"

Aiden indicated the correct direction with her bundle. "And we're _walking_," she quipped.

* * * * * * * *

Colby dropped into a chair as Aiden set the bundle down and then puttered around the room. "Now what?" he asked.

Aiden made her way over to him and straddled his lap, settling down on top of him. Colby rested his hands on her hips as she pressed herself against his crotch. "Well, we could chat for a while longer or we could eat more or we could pick up where we left off before we went out or," she said, drawing out the last word, "I could read to you."

"Did you just insult me?" he asked curiously before reminding her, "I'm not a dumb grunt, ya know. I do have a college degree and I _do _know how to read."

"In Arabic?" she questioned, running her fingers through his hair.

"Mmm." He leaned into her touch and then remembered she had said something. Going back over her words, he realized she was right. "Good point."

"So? Which door would you like?"

Colby played with the edge of her shirt for a moment, then ran his fingers teasingly up under it. "I have to pick just one?"

Aiden arched into his touch, grinning at him. "Of course you can pick more than one. What's your pleasure?"

He pressed her towards him until their lips met and he kissed her hungrily. "You," he said when they broke apart. "Reading to me." He tugged on her shirt until she relented and allowed him to pull it off. He ran a finger under the strap of her bra. "In just this."

She raised her eyebrows at him, her grin turning more wicked. "So _not_ what I was expecting from a white-bread looking boy like you." Sliding off his lap, she picked at his shirt. "Can I make a request of you then?"

"Absolutely." He realized what he had just agreed to and qualified it, "As long as I have the option to say no."

"You always have the _option_, but its not nearly as much fun."

He nodded. "Let's hear what you want."

"Boots and socks off. Shirt off. Lay down on the bed. Acceptable?" she asked.

"Sure." He got up and pulled his shirt off, moving towards the bed. "So what are you reading me?"

Aiden paused from where she was digging through one of her bags. "You've heard of the _Arabian Nights_?"

"Sure," he answered, then half-sung, half-quoted. "Well Ali Baba had them forty thieves/Scheherezad-ie had a thousand tales."

Aiden giggled at his phrasing. "How do you know that?"

"I told ya, I've got one sister. And she's younger. Like eight years younger. Her favorite movie is _Aladdin_. I've heard that damn song I don't know how many times."

She set the leather bound book she had found on the nightstand and reached for the button on her pants as she answered. "The original tales were not for children. The story begins something like this..." She slipped her jeans off, watching his eyes follow her movements and crawled onto the bed next to him. "Once there was a Persian king named Shahryar. He had been married, but his wife was not satisfied with just him and found another man or six." She trailed hand down Colby's chest as she spoke. "So Shahryar had her executed and declared that no woman could be faithful to one man and that from then on he would only marry virgins. Each night he would marry a virgin that his vizier or counselor found for him and then have her killed the next morning."

Colby rested his hand on her hip. "That wasn't very nice of him."

"Oh, it gets worse." She rolled over and grabbed the book, setting it between them. "See pretty soon, the vizier couldn't find anymore virgins. Either Shahryar had killed them all _or_ their parents were hiding them. So Scheherazade, the vizier's daughter, offers herself. Now, of course, her father is none too happy about this, but she has a plan."

"What? She's such a great lover that he won't kill her?"

Aiden socks him lightly in the shoulder. "No! She begins a tale and then refuses to finish it. Shahryar postpones her execution because he simply must hear the end. And so it goes for 1,001 nights. Each night she finishes the prior night's tale and begins a new one. She kept varying the tales so he would not get bored; telling him historical stories, romances, tragedies, comedies, poems, burlesques, and even erotica."

"Erotica?" Colby asked. "They had porn back then?"

"There was porn in cave paintings, Cole," Aiden told him seriously.

He looked at her for a moment, then realized she was teasing him. "So what happened to this great storyteller?"

"Well, that depends on which version you read, but all of them end with Scheherazade pardoned and living out her life with the king." She snuggled down in the bed next to him. "So most of volume five is erotica. What's your pleasure tonight?"

Colby ran his finger across the page she had opened to, the script on the page fascinating him. "Why don't you tell me what my options are?"

"Well, we have 'The Lovers of the Banu Ozrah', 'The Caliph Marun al-Rashid and Queen Zubaydah in the Bath', 'The Caliph Harun al-Rashid and the Three Slave-Girls', and 'Abu al-Aswad and His Slave-Girl' to start with," Aiden began.

"A man with three slave girls? Wow. I'm impressed he could handle all that. Although I think that's just about every guy's fantasy," Colby said.

Aiden just shook her head. "Why is that every guy's fantasy? Why is one girl just not enough?"

Colby moved the book aside so he could roll towards her, running a hand up her body and angling her head so he could draw her towards him. "'Cause those guys haven't met you," he told her before kissing her. When he pulled away, he finished, "I think you'd be enough to wear anyone out."

Aiden shoved him off her, then straddled him. "Sweet talking is _not_ going to get you more sex."

He started to run his hands up her body, but moved them away when she slapped at them. "Okay, so what _will_ get me more sex?"

"You wanted a bedtime story?" She ground down against him, enjoying the groan that rumbled up from his chest and the feel of him hardening beneath her core. "I'll give you a bedtime story, maybe with some hands-on demonstration...and I promise not to hold the end over your head...unless you request it of me."

"That sounds good," Colby said, then almost swallowed his tongue as she leaned over him, nearly pressing her breasts into his face to reach the book. When she sat back, propping the book open on his chest, he asked, "Are you planning to stay there?"

"Unless you want me to move?"

"Nope. You're fine," he hurriedly assured her.

"So did you decide which story you wanted?" she asked.

"You're going to think I'm a pig," he pointed out.

"Ah, so we're going with 'The Caliph Harun al-Rashid and the Three Slave-Girls'." Aiden flipped the pages until she found the story he had requested. Setting her finger on the page, she looked over the book at him. "Do you want a summary?"

Colby ran a finger up her inner thigh, meeting her smile with one of his own. "Nah. Just go ahead and read to me."

Aiden shifted, causing Colby to inhale sharply, and began to read in a soft voice. He couldn't understand a word she was saying, except the name of the caliph, but as she read; she eased one hand down, twining it with his fingers. Drawing his fingers towards her, she rested them against her hip.

As she continued to read, Colby brought his other hand up and allowed them to creep around her legs. Aiden didn't allow him to distract her from the book as he slipped his index finger beneath the waistband of her panties. He fiddled with the elastic as she shifted to give him better access. After a moment, he changed course and ran his hands up her torso, cupping her breasts. Aiden arched into his touch, the book falling from her grasp onto his chest. "Story time's over?" he questioned. She moaned as he ran his thumbs over her nipples. "I'd say that's a yes." Releasing one breast, he shut the book and set it on the nightstand, then drew her down towards him; kissing her deeply.


	6. Chapter 6

Aiden sat back up when he released her and reached upwards to unhook her bra. Colby stopped her with a look. "What?" she questioned.

He traced her ribs gently. "We took it fast earlier. Slow and easy now?" he suggested.

"Yeah. If you want," Aiden replied. "What do you want me to do?"

"Let's just see what happens?" he asked. "We don't need to have a plan or an exact way things are going to happen."

"Wait...the military man doesn't need to have a plan of action?"

"Okay, despite what my sister says I am not that anal," he complained. "I can go with the flow."

She grinned, leaning down to rub her nose against his. "I was teasing, Cole." When she went to pull back, he held her to him, kissing her hungrily. "Do you want more?" she asked against his lips when he finally released her. "Do you want to drive yourself into me again? And cum with me wrapped around you?"

Colby shuddered beneath her at her words. "Geez, Aiden," he said, running his hands down her back, mapping her spine.

"Too much?" she asked, nuzzling the junction between his shoulder and neck, grazing the muscle lightly with her teeth.

"N-n-no," he stuttered, as her hand crept between their bodies, cupping him through his fatigue pants. His breathing eased as her hand moved back northward and she sat back up.

Aiden scrapped her nails gently across his pecs before splaying her hands wide across his taut abdomen. "You didn't give me time to properly appreciate this earlier."

Colby shrugged, reddening slightly under her gaze. "It's nothing special. I keep in shape for work, not anything else."

"'Nothing special', he says. Cole, this is like a work of art. You may do it just for work, but I fully intend to appreciate and enjoy it."

"Oh, _really_?"

"Hell, yeah." Aiden's grin turned wicked. Gliding her fingers across his satiny skin, she tweaked one of his nipples gently before leaning down and placing an open mouthed kiss over it.

Sliding back upwards, she considered him for a long moment, until he finally asked, "What? Is something wrong?"

"Nope. Nothing's wrong. Are you allergic to any oils that you know of?"

"Oils? What do you mean? Why?"

Aiden leaned over, pulling open the nightstand drawer and drawing out a brown bottle. "Cause it sucks when you break out in a rash from the massage oil." Pouring a little into her hand, she set the bottle on the stand and began to warm it in her palms as she explained, "Its sandalwood, myrrh, and jasmine with grapeseed oil as a base. Anything in there sound like it'll give you an issue?"

Colby shook his head. "No, I don't think so. What are you intending to do with it?"

"Well, its not edible," Aiden shrugged, "but it's fun to play with...as long as you don't break out." Tipping her hand, she poured a little bit of the oil onto his chest, then used one finger to trace something in it.

"What's that say?" he asked, trying to angle his head to read it and then realizing she had written in Arabic.

Aiden grinned down at him. "Sexy." Leaning down, she blew gently across his skin.

Colby shuddered as her warm breath teased across his skin. The oil warmed and then cooled as the air came in contact with it. Amused with his reaction, she did it again; eliciting a full body shake this time. Reaching up, he tugged her towards him, tangling his tongue with hers. When they separated, he had a look on his face that Aiden recognized as one that a man got when he was sure he would soon have the woman in his arms. "Stop playing," he ordered.

Things lower in her body tightened at the command in his voice. Leaning over him, she murmured, "Sei troppo sexy. Ti desidero disperatamente."

He ran his hands over the curve of her ass, pressing her core against his hardness. Aiden moaned at the contact and tried to sit up, but he held her to his body. "I don't know what you just said, but, god, Aiden," he groaned. "I want you. I want inside you. I want you wrapped around me as you scream your release to the room."

It was Aiden's turn to shudder at his words. Tucking her face into the crook of his neck, she whispered, "Facciamo l'amore."

Pulling her forward again, he ran his tongue along the edge of her bra, dipping under it. Moving downwards, he sucked fabric and nipple into his mouth as he reached blindly behind her, searching for the clasp. A moment later, he pulled far enough away to ask, "What the fuck?"

Aiden grinned, reaching between them and twisting the inner section. "Front clasp."

He hurriedly shoved the two edges aside. "That's evil," he said, before latching onto her breast.

Aiden moaned as his mouth closed around her; allowing her muscles to relax and her body to fall into him. He caught her so he wasn't suffocated, rolling them both to the side so he had more access. Aiden threw her leg over him and fumbled with the button on his pants. He was moving a hand down to assist her when the sound of a voice registered. "Aiden. Aiden!" he said, pulling away from her. "Who is that?"

"Doctor Bancroft? Doctor Bancroft? Aiden, I'm aware that you are there because your computer is active. You need to answer."

"Shite," Aiden gasped. Untangling herself from Colby, she rolled to the side and fell off the bed. Colby reached for her as she moved, but he wasn't quick enough to grab her before she hit the floor. Sitting up, she rubbed her butt. "Fuck," she said softly. Standing up, she grabbed a near-by towel and walked over to the table, tossing it over the camera before moving around to activate her microphone. "Sorry, Director Anders. I was in the shower. What do you need?"

"Is that the reason you've blocked the camera?"

Aiden glanced over at Colby as he crossed the room to her. "Yes, sir. Is there something I can do for you?"

"I just wanted to make you aware that I've sent you the last of the information on the team you'll be working with. You're to report at nine am Monday morning. All the other information is in the email."

Aiden nodded even though he couldn't see her. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. It's, ah, getting late here, sir, and I was on my way to bed."

"All right. Sorry to disturb you, Doctor." A moment later, a beep signaled that the connection had been closed. Aiden reached over and hit a couple of buttons, saving a record of the conversation.

Colby put his arms around her when he was certain she wasn't focused on the conversation anymore. "Everything okay?"

Aiden shook herself out of her thoughts. "Yeah. It's fine. Just the last of what I needed for my job." Turning in his embrace, she slipped her arms around his waist. "Where were we?"

He hugged her gently. "Let's get some sleep. I think that kinda broke the mood."

"We could..."

"Aiden," he soothed her, "let's just go to bed. Tomorrow we'll have a little time before I have to go back. Maybe things will change then."

She allowed him to lead her back to the bed and tuck her in. Turning on her side, she watched as he stripped off his pants before sliding in beside her. Aiden ran her hand down his chest, arrowing for his cock. "Are you sure we can't...?"

Colby caught her hand before it reached its goal, drawing it back upwards. "Sleep, Aiden. No potato pushing."

Aiden started giggling. "What did you say?"

"Potato pushing," Colby repeated as her giggles began to shake her body. "No fooling around."

"That is adorable," Aiden said, reaching up and kissing him. "I gotta remember that one."

Colby shook his head. "Go to sleep, Aiden."

Still giggling softly, she snuggled down next to him, luxuriating in the heat generated by his body. A few minutes later, her laughter subsided into even breathing. Colby eased away from her body and padded over to the door, making sure it was locked, then rejoined her before she even noticed he was missing. A few moments later, he joined her in sleep.

* * *

_Sei troppo sexy you're too sexy_

_Ti desidero (disperatamente). I want you desperately_

_Facciamo l'amore. Make love to me._


	7. Chapter 7

Aiden came awake slowly, stretching and then moving closer to the furnace next to her. She snuggled up against him, curling her body into his and running her hand down his firm abs. Colby shifted in his sleep and she paused, cracking her eyes to make sure he wasn't waking himself. When he settled, she went back to her plan of attack.

Running her hand under the sheet, she traced the muscles of his lower abdomen with a finger. The muscles twitched under her movement and she slowed, waiting until the involuntary spasms stopped. Slipping her hand lower, she by-passed his penis and cupped his balls; rolling them in her small hand.

Colby rolled onto his back and Aiden moved with him, throwing a leg over his. Looking up through her eyelashes, she checked to be sure he was still sleeping. His eyes were beginning to move under the lids, but he wasn't opening them yet.

Deciding the room was warm enough, she threw the sheet off and began a more aggressive move. Beginning at his collarbone, she placed open-mouthed kisses down his body; trailing down until she reached his penis which was already half-hard under her touches. Placing both hands in the hallows of his hips, she licked a path down his cock to his balls.

The muscles under her hands tensed and Aiden drew far enough back to say softly, "It's Aiden, Colby. It's just Aiden."

"What're you doing?" his sleep-husky voice asked.

Aiden grinned against his skin. "Saying good morning. Should I continue?"

"Did you have something particular in mind?" He reached a hand down and played with one of the curls that had come loose from her braid, winding it around his finger and then letting it go again.

"Just let me play? If you don't like it, we can stop." He tensed again under her fingers and then went limp suddenly. Aiden jerked her head up to check on him. "Colby?"

He took a deep breath. "Yeah. I'm okay. Go on."

She stared at him for a moment, locking blue eyes with green. Then obviously finding what she needed there, she bent her head back towards his groin. She rested her forearms against his thighs, then rolled his balls gently in one hand. With the other she stroked his penis, bringing it to full hardness. When he was fully engorged, she began to taste him.

Starting with little cat licks around the tip, she covered the entire head, paying close attention to the slit when he began leaking. Above her, Colby's breathing began to speed up. Grinning into the skin beneath her, she moved onto the next stage.

Removing her hand from his balls, she ran a finger up his penis watching it jerk under her touch. Colby moaned in response. Closing her mouth over the top, she sucked softly. His hands cupped her head, closing rhythmically around her skull. She rewarded his restraint by drawing him farther into her mouth and pulling harder. Her body weight kept him on the bed, even as he tried to get her to shift position. "Aiden," he groaned. "Aiden, stop, or I'm gonna go."

Pulling off, she replied, "And what's wrong with that?"

"'Cause I'd like to be inside you," he answered.

Aiden shuddered at the image his words invoked and asked only, "How?"

"You. On top of me. Me inside you."

Aiden's smile turned wicked. "Sounds like a plan." Slithering up his body, she moved until she could capture his mouth in a kiss. Colby ran his hands down her back until he could cup her ass and press her into him. Both of them moaned at the contact. Sliding his hands under the elastic of her panties, he began to ease them downward. Aiden lifted up, allowing him to slip them over the curve of her body. When she could wiggle them off, she did, kicking them onto the floor. Colby groaned as her skin touched his from head to foot.

For a moment, the two of them lay there, soaking in the feeling of their bodies touching. Aiden shifted slightly and pressed her mouth against his. Colby kept his lips closed for a minute, then wrapped his arms around her, flipped them over and devoured her mouth. Aiden clutched at his shoulders as he nudged at her entrance.

When Colby drew back to breathe, Aiden smiled up at him. "I thought you wanted me on top?" she questioned softly.

Colby buried his face in her neck, inhaling their combined scents. "I-I...I need to be in control, Aiden," he confessed.

Aiden considered the dilemma for a minute as she made soothing nosies and ran her fingers through his hair. Finally she nudged him so he moved his head and pulled back far enough to look at her. "Can I ask a couple of questions?" she asked. He looked at her for a moment and then nodded. "You still want me on top?"

His fingers tightened where he was holding onto her. "Yes," he whispered.

"But you need to be in control? In command?"

"Yes," he admitted softly.

"Is it that you need to be my 'master'?" she asked, unable after a few minutes to think of another way to phrase it. Colby rolled off her abruptly and started to move away, but Aiden grabbed him. "Oh, no, you don't!" she demanded. "There's nothing wrong with it," she told him as she wrapped herself around him and pressed herself against his back.

Colby froze, afraid to hurt her and unwilling to break her hold. "Not...exactly," he admitted.

Aiden wrapped herself tighter, throwing a leg over his hips and slipping one arm under his neck. Soothingly, she rubbed her other hand up and down his chest, not trying to arouse him now. She continued to do this until he stopped fighting her hold. "What is it you _need_, Cole?" she asked. "If you just need to order me around...we can work with that." Rubbing her nose against his back, she kissed the space between his shoulder blades. "You're in a high stress job where you aren't always in control. It stands to reason you'd need to take control where you can." Kissing him again in the same spot, she said, "What do you _need_? No pressure, Cole."

He gave a choked laugh. "No pressure. Just no sex if we can't figure this out." He captured the hand that had been running along his chest and drew to his mouth, sucking her fingers into it. Aiden moaned in response. "I don't need to be the master," he said when he released her. "But I do need to be the one in command. I need..."

"You need to tell me what to do and essentially control my movements," Aiden concluded. "Because you're more relaxed now so your natural command is taking over."

He groaned, but admitted, "Yes. And I fully understand if you want to kick me out now."

"Hell, no!" Aiden exclaimed, pressing up against him and cupping his balls. "Gimme your hand." When he laced his fingers in hers, she drew it back, sliding it down and into her. "Feel that?" she whispered against his skin as his fingers glided easily inside her. "Feel how wet I am?" At his nod, she continued, "That's what just the thought of you ordering me around does to me. Now can you imagine what will happen when you start to actually give me orders?"

Colby moaned, even though his arm was bent at an awkward angle. "Oh, god. You'll let me do this?"

"We need a safe word, even though we aren't really doing a scene and we can 'play'," Aiden answered, letting go of his hand so that he could remove it.

"Safe word?"

"A word, that if I say it, we stop instantly. I don't think we'll need it, but you should never play without one. So if I say cactus, we stop. Okay?"

"Cactus?" Colby questioned, trying not to laugh.

"Well, I don't think its going to come up as we're fooling around in casual conversation," she responded.

"True." He lay there for a minute, letting her hold him, then asked, "Now what?"

Aiden released him, rolling away from him and waited until he had turned to look at her. "Now you tell me what to do."

He sat up, leaning against the headboard, and stared down at her; sprawled across the bed. She had thrown one arm up above her head, stretching her torso and he had an unimpeded view of everything. For a long time, he stared down at her, drinking in the sight of her nude body. There was a slight flush to her curves, but it was from arousal, not embarrassment. "I want..I want," he cleared his throat, realizing that he wasn't phrasing it correctly. "Touch yourself."

Aiden waited, since he hadn't told her where. When he didn't continue, she prompted, "Cole, you need to be more specific."

"Touch your breasts, yourself. Make yourself cum," he ordered. "I want to watch you cum. I want you to make yourself cum for me."

Aiden grinned saucily at him. "Toss me a pillow, sir?" she requested.

Colby complied, curious to see what she was planning. "No more talking," he said. "Unless it's dirty."

She folded the pillow over and stuffed it behind her head, angling herself upwards so that she was propped up and could see him and he had a clear view. Then she began to glide her hand down her body. Colby watched avidly as she cupped one breast, flicking her nipple with her finger. Her body tensed at the feeling and she repeated the motion over and over until she was panting.

Bringing her other hand down from above her head, she spread her legs as she slipped her fingers inside. "Cole," she groaned. "I'm so wet. I'm dripping. My fingers sliding so easily inside."

"I _said_ make yourself cum for me," Colby repeated, "and I meant it. You make me take you sooner than I want and I won't be as gentle."

"Maybe I want it rough, sir."

"Aiden," he warned.

"Yes, sir," she replied and Colby got the feeling that if she had been in the military, she wouldn't be saying it with the proper deference either.

Spreading her farther and putting one foot over his leg, she pressed down on her clit and cried out. Colby clutched at her ankle as she spasmed briefly, then released. Aiden locked eyes with him as she rubbed herself, keeping up movement on her nipple at the same time. Colby's eyes skittered from her breast to her vagina, as her hand between her legs began to move faster.

Leaning forward, he ran his hand up the leg she had rested against his, stopping just before he reached her center. She smiled at him, inviting him with her eyes to touch her, but he shook his head. "I want you to cum on your own," he ordered. He stroked along the joint of her hip. "Cum for me, sweetheart," he whispered, his voice husky.

"I need...I need..." Aiden started.

Colby realized that she had lost the thread because he had stopped the game they were playing. "Cum for me now," he ordered roughly.

Aiden twisted her fingers inside her body and her back bowed as that took her over the edge. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she cried out as her body spasmed. Colby rolled quickly, gathering her into his arms and soothing her through the shocks.

When Aiden opened her eyes again, Colby was pressed up against her, his erection digging into her hip. "I want you," he demanded.

"Yes," she breathed.


	8. Chapter 8

"On your knees."

She gave him a puzzled look, but complied quickly; rising to her knees facing him and spreading her legs so he had access. With a grin, she put her arms behind her back, circling one wrist and holding her hands in place. Colby drank in the sight of her before him; willingly offering herself to him and had to prevent himself from slamming his body into her. When he was sure he wasn't going to fall on her and drive himself into her, he slid his hand up her leg. Rubbing his thumb across her leg, he slipped it into her center to test her readiness. His digit slipped easily inside, gliding on the slickness. Slight tremors gripped him; leftovers from her orgasm.

Gripping her hip, he tugged her towards him. "On top of me," he instructed.

"May I ask a question, sir?" she replied, even as she moved with his motion.

He nodded. "Ask."

She straddled his legs as she said, "Are we going to stay in scene?"

"I'd like to."

"Okay." She relaxed in his grip. "Command me."

Colby withdrew his thumb from inside her and rested his hand on her other hip. "Move up and guide me inside you."

Aiden took his cock in her hand as she raised herself up. Stroking her hand up it, she looked down at him. "Don't take liberties," he warned.

She nodded, then arranged herself above him. Biting her lower lip, she held him upright as she began to ease downward. Colby moaned as her wet heat surrounded him. Although she moved slowly and he wanted nothing more than to slam up into her, he allowed her to set the pace. Aiden lowered herself until she was full seated and their groins were touching.

He rubbed her thighs soothingly as she adjusted to his size, even though she had had him before, it hadn't been at this angle and he wanted to make sure she was ready. Aiden widened her eyes questioningly at him, refusing to speak since he hadn't given her permission. "Ride me," he ordered softly. "When you're ready," he qualified.

Rising up, she began to lower herself slowly, a centimeter at a time as she kept her blue eyes locked on his green ones. Colby gripped her hips; guiding her, bracing her. Aiden reached up, cupping her breasts with her hands and flicking her nipples. Colby groaned at the visual in front of him and as she began the downward motion again, he pushed his hips up to meet her. She smiled in response. "More?" she asked.

"Thought I was in command?"

"Then give me a command," she responded.

"Fuck me, Aiden," he demanded. "Make us both cum. Touch yourself if you need to."

Aiden continued to manipulate her breasts as she rode him and he slipped his hands around until he cupped her ass. He urged her to move faster, causing them both to moan in reaction. She threw her head back as the sensations became over-whelming and she began to clench around him.

Abruptly she stopped. "Not yet," she panted.

He nodded, understanding that she wanted to prolong it for a moment. He slid his hand around, slipping finger alongside his cock. Twisting it slightly, he searched for her sweet spot and knew he had found it when she tensed above him. "Now," he commanded.

She took her hands off her body, resting them on his chest and bracing herself so he could drive himself deeper. He gripped her hip with one hand as he rubbed her clit and drove himself into her. Aiden gasped as the sensations tore through her body, then he flicked against her just one more time and she toppled over the edge.

Screaming as the orgasm ripped through her, Aiden's body clenched tightly around his and Colby shoved himself into her again and again as she shook above him. Just as she began to come down, he pressed harder and she started all over again. This time he let himself go with her.

Aiden slumped across his body, twitching as the last of the orgasm flowed through her body. "Goddess, Cole," she whispered when her breathing evened out.

Cole stroked down her back, sweatier than his since she had come twice. "Thank you," he replied.

Aiden patted his shoulder which was where her hand was laying. "It was fun. Rest now."

Colby hooked the sheet with his foot, pulling it up far enough so he could grab it with the hand the wasn't wrapped around her. "Talk later?" he asked, but she was already asleep.

* * * * * * * *

Colby opened his eyes to find Aiden sitting up in bed, reading a book. He rolled over and rested his head on her thigh. They had disengaged while they napped and he had turned away from her. Now he cuddled against her as Aiden absently ran her hand through his hair. "Sleep well?" he asked.

"Mmm-hmm," she answered absently without looking up from the book.

Colby raised his head, intending to get her attention when he caught sight of the clock on the night stand. "Shit. Aiden, I gotta go!"

She dropped the book into her lap as he rolled out of bed. "What's wrong?"

"I've got forty-five minutes before I have to be back at the barracks," he explained. He scanned the room, looking for his belongings.

"Relax, Cole. It shouldn't take you more than twenty minutes to walk from here to there. Take a deep breath, get dressed, take the baklava with you if you'd like."

He did as she instructed as he realized the truth in her words. Turning, Colby picked through the clothes on the floor, trying to find all the parts of his uniform. Frowning he realized he couldn't find some things. Turning towards the bed, he asked, "Aiden, have you seen my t-shirt or underwear?"

Aiden had been lazing on the bed,unconcerned with his movements and watching him walk around the room. Now she thought for a moment, then leaned down and fished his shirt out from under the bed. Tossing it to him, she reminded him, "You weren't wearing any underwear."

Colby pulled his shirt on and paused, remembering. "I must be more tired than I thought."

"You going to be all right walking back to the barracks?" Aiden asked, as she watched him pull on his pants and then sit down to lace up his combat boots.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. It's not the first time I've gone on minimal sleep. The air will wake me up." He finished tying his boots and stood up, stamping his feet to settle them. Picking up his belt, he slipped it on and adjusted his holster and Beretta M4.

Aiden grinned at him. "If you're sure."

He leaned over and kissed her lightly, drawing a finger across her bare shoulder. "So when can I see you again?" he asked, breath warm on her face.

The smile fell away from her face; the warmth and openness disappearing at the same time. She tossed off the blankets and shoved him away; although her touch was gentle. "Colby, you're a nice guy with a fabulous and sexy body. Trust me when I say you are really, _really _good in the sack. But I wasn't looking for a happy ending or a long term relationship. It was just sex and just _this _weekend." She started across the room to the bathroom. "This wasn't ever anything I intended to pursue farther."

Colby started with surprise as he heard the bathroom lock snick shut behind her. A moment later, he heard the pipes rattle on and realized that Aiden wasn't going to come back out. Glancing around the room, he made sure he had all of his belongings and then let himself out.


End file.
